Mobile apparatus with remote lock and control function

ABSTRACT

A mobile communication apparatus includes a remote lock and control function. More particularly, after theft or loss of the apparatus, it is possible to remotely lock the apparatus by sending a lock command, e.g. an SMS message. The apparatus may also be controlled to upload information enabling the user to retrieve valuable information stored in the apparatus. The apparatus includes a control unit and registers for controlling the operations of the apparatus, including receiving messages. The apparatus further includes locking means capable of detecting codes in messages received and, responsive to detecting a lock code, sending a lock command to the control unit to render the mobile communication apparatus at least partially inoperable.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of and claims priority fromU.S. application Ser. No. 10/554,490, filed Oct. 24, 2005, which claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. §371 from PCT International Application No.PCT/EP2004/050628, filed on Apr. 28, 2004, which claims priority fromEuropean Patent Application Serial No. 03445048.6 filed Apr. 29, 2003,and from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/468,433 filed May 7,2003, the disclosures and contents of each of which are incorporated byreference herein in their entireties. The above-referenced PCTInternational Application was published in the English language asInternational Publication No. WO 2004/098219.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a mobile apparatus with a remote lockand control function, more particularly, after theft or loss of theapparatus, it is possible to remotely lock it by sending a lock command,e.g. an SMS message. The apparatus may also be controlled to uploadinformation enabling the user to retrieve valuable information stored inthe apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A lot of phones are lost or stolen and these phones contain anincreasing amount of private, perhaps sensitive, information. It wouldbe useful if a lost or stolen phone could be completely locked as soonas possible after it is lost by the use of a friend's phone or a website. The phone lock should be possible to reverse if it is found, sothat it immediately can be used with its original information.

There are four actions a user can perform today related to phone theft.

One is to contact the operator and invalidate the IMEI number. Aftercontacting the operator, it typically takes a few days before the phoneis invalidated in the network.

The second action is to invalidate the SIM card itself in the network.This invalidation will in most cases take only a few minutes toimplement in the network.

The third action, which is of a preventive nature, is to use the phonelocking mechanism usually implemented in mobile phones, in which casethe user must either enter a code at each power on or the phone isautomatically locked when used with another SIM card.

The fourth action is to enable the SIM card's PIN code, in which casethe phone will be inaccessible while using the locked SIM card unlessthe correct PIN code is entered. If both phone lock and SIM card PIN isactive the user must enter two separate codes at each start-up.

However, invalidating the IMEI does not necessarily prevent access tothe phone itself, nor does the SIM card invalidation. Enabling phonelock at each start-up will prevent unauthorized access to data, butlocking the phone to one specific SIM card only does not preventsomebody to access the content of the phone, as long as the original SIMcard is used. Enabling the SIM card's PIN code will only have an effectafter the phone have been powered off and then on again.

The only way to achieve protection of the phone's content andunauthorized use of the SIM card using currently available solutions isto use the phone locking feature described above, in combination withenabling the SIM PIN code. This solution is not optimal since itrequires the user to always enter the PIN code every time the phone ispowered on, and perhaps even the phone lock code, and the protection isnot activated unless the phone first is powered off.

The present invention solves this problem by introducing a remote lockand control function into the phone. Then a user that looses his phonecan send a special message, typically an SMS, to his lost phone thatwill lock the phone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a mobile communication apparatus capable ofcommunicating via a telecommunication network, comprising a control unitand registers for controlling the operation of the apparatus, includingreceiving messages.

According to the invention, the apparatus further comprises lockingmeans capable of detecting codes in messages received and, in dependenceof a lock code, sending a lock command to the control unit for renderingthe mobile communication apparatus at least partially inoperable.

Preferably, when rendered partially inoperable, the apparatus isarranged to receive a first unlocking code restoring the apparatus tonormal operation.

The apparatus may further comprise a card reader for reading a smartcard, such as a SIM card, containing control information necessary forthe operation of the apparatus, and the locking means, when activated,is arranged to automatically lock the apparatus when a smart card isreplaced by another.

Suitably, when locked, the apparatus is arranged to receive a secondunlocking code restoring the apparatus to normal operation. The firstunlocking code may be the same as the second unlocking code.

In one embodiment, the apparatus, when rendered partially inoperable, isarranged to maintain contact with the telecommunication network and toreceive commands for remotely controlling operation of the apparatus.

Preferably, the commands include a command to upload specificinformation from the apparatus, such as phone book, messages, images,settings or other user data, via the telecommunication network to aremote receiver.

The apparatus may be arranged to keep track of its position and toreceive a command to upload information about its position via thetelecommunication network to a remote receiver.

The apparatus may be arranged to empty all registers after havinguploaded specific information from the apparatus to a remote receiver.

The commands may include a command to lock the smart card, so that thesmart card cannot be used in another apparatus.

Suitably, the command is a command to activate the SIM card PIN code.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawing, of which the only FIGURE is a schematic view of anapparatus in accordance with the invention connected in atelecommunication network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The invention will be described in relation to a mobile phone. Theinvention is also applicable in other devices, e.g. communicators,electronic organizers and the like portable apparatuses capable ofcommunicating via a telecommunication network.

FIGURE 1 shows a mobile phone 1 according to the invention. The phonecontains the usual mobile phone functions for handling calls andmessages, such as SMS (Short Message Service). The phone also contains acard reader 5 for a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) holdinginformation about the phone number and also containing registersavailable for the user to store information. The phone also contains abuilt-in register or memory means 3 storing software and otherinformation e.g. settings. The memory means 3 also contains a spaceavailable to the user for storing information. All these functions andmeans arc conventional and not described in detail here. The telephoneis arranged to communicate with other devices by means of atelecommunication network only symbolized by means of the lock arrows.

The user often spends a lot of efforts loading information into thephone and/or the SIM card, such as messages received and sent, imagessuch as photos, calendars and settings with regard to the operation ofthe phone, such as ring signals, profiles etc. When the user looses hisphone including the SIM card, not only may an unauthorized person usethe original user's subscription but also the sensitive and valuablecontents of the phone are lost.

With the present invention the user is offered the possibility to lockthe phone remotely by sending a special lock command to his phone.Suitably, the command is contained in a message 6 such as an SMS to thephone 1 and may be sent to the phone by another phone 8 or through a website by means of a connected computer 7. The SMS 6 will contain a codeand a specific tag. The phone 1 contains a detection means 4 adapted todetect the code and respond to the code by sending a command to thecontrol unit 2 to render the phone at least partially inoperable, sothat the unauthorized person may not use the phone.

The user initiates the function by means of the ordinary phone keys byentering the code, which of course should only be known to the phoneowner. Preferably, the code is long, at least twenty characters chosenfrom the whole character set in order to minimize the probability for arandom message sent to the phone to lock the phone accidentally. Whenthe code is set, the user may activate the lock function.

If the original owner gets his phone back he can unlock the phone andcontinue to use it as before. The user enters an unlocking command andthen the phone requests the correct unlocking code to be unlocked.Alternatively, the phone is adapted to request the unlocking codeautomatically.

As an additional precaution, the SIM card PIN code may be activated,such that the SIM card can not be moved to another phone and be usedthere without entering the SIM card locking code.

If the user has not activated the SIM card PIN code when the phone islost, he may activate it by means of another command sent in a message.This command may be sent in the same SMS as the lock command.Alternatively, the lock command may automatically activate the SIM cardPIN code.

Also, when the lock function according to the invention is activated thephone should also be locked by means of a conventional phone lockmechanism, such that it can not be used with another SIM card withoutfirst unlocking the phone with the proper phone unlocking code 10. Thisway, the thief may not just switch off the phone and then use it withanother SIM card. The user may select the unlocking code 11 according tothe invention to be the same as a conventional phone locking code 10.

In one embodiment, the phone remains in contact with thetelecommunication network 12 after having received the lock command 9 bymeans of the SMS 6. Even though the phone is locked for ordinary use itcan receive further messages. In accordance with the invention, thephone may further be adapted to receive commands to remotely control thephone. In this way, the original owner may send messages containingcodes commanding the phone to upload information through thetelecommunication network 12. Preferably, the phone is adapted to uploadspecific information, like the phone book, e-mails, SMS messages, MMSmessages and pictures etc. to a server 9 in the network 12, e.g. run bythe telecommunication operator or someone else offering the service.From the server, the original owner may gain access by means of his useridentity and a password, which may be identical to the unlocking code10, for downloading the information to his computer 7 for forwardinge.g. to his new phone 8 or directly to a mobile phone 8.

The phone may also be adapted to keep track of its own position. In thiscase the specific information may comprise the phone position so thatthe phone may be found.

A further command could be to empty the phone completely as soon as allthe specific information has been uploaded.

During the uploading of information, the phone's display should looknormal, so that the upload is invisible to the unauthorized user. Inthis way it is avoided that the unauthorized user switches off the phoneor interferes with the information transfer in another way.

The invention reduces the risk for unauthorized phone and data use whenthe phone is lost It secures all valuable data contained in the phoneand makes it possible to retrieve the data even if the phone is neverrecovered. The great advantage of this solution compared to thecurrently available solutions is that once it is sot up by the user, itis completely transparent—no PIN codes that must be entered on start-upor anything else. The only time the user must actively do something iswhen the phone is actually lost.

1. A mobile communication apparatus for communicating via atelecommunication network, comprising: a plurality of registers; acontrol unit configured to control operations of the apparatus,including receiving messages; and locking means configured to detectcodes in the received messages responsive to detecting a lock code andconfigured to send a lock command to the control unit to render themobile communication apparatus at least partially inoperable, wherein,when rendered partially inoperable, the apparatus is configured tomaintain contact with the telecommunication network and to receiveadditional commands for remotely controlling operations of theapparatus, wherein the additional commands include a command to uploadpersonal user data from the apparatus to a remote receiver via thetelecommunication network.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe apparatus is configured to receive a first unlocking code and torespond thereto by restoring the apparatus to normal operation when theapparatus is rendered at least partially inoperable.
 3. An apparatusaccording to claim 1, further comprising: a card reader configured toread a smart card containing control information for the apparatus,wherein the locking means, when activated, is configured toautomatically lock the apparatus when the smart card is replaced byanother smart card.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein thesmart card is a SIM card.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 2, whereinthe apparatus is configured to receive a second unlocking code and torespond thereto by restoring the apparatus to normal operation when theapparatus is rendered at least partially inoperable.
 6. An apparatusaccording to claim 5, wherein the first unlocking code and the secondunlocking code comprise a same code.
 7. An apparatus according to claim1, wherein the personal user data includes phone book, messages, images,settings, and/or other user data.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the apparatus is configured to keep track of its position and toreceive a command to upload information about the position to a remotereceiver via the telecommunication network.
 9. An apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to empty ones of theplurality of registers after receiving a command to upload specificinformation from the apparatus to a remote receiver.
 10. An apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the commands include a command to lock asmart card containing control information for the apparatus, and whereinthe apparatus is configured to lock the smart card in response to thecommand to prevent the smart card from being used in another apparatus.11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the smart card is a SIMcard, and wherein the command is a command to activate the SIM card PINcode.
 12. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: adisplay coupled to the control unit, wherein the control unit isconfigured to upload the personal user data from the apparatus to theremote receiver via the telecommunication network without providing anindication thereof on the display responsive to receiving the command toupload the personal user data.